


A ride to remember

by DracoIgnis



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Finland (Country), Holiday, Jonerys, Kissing, Snow, Strangers, Strangers to Lovers, Winter, alternative universe, husky - Freeform, husky farm, kiss, relationship, sled ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 07:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20926682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoIgnis/pseuds/DracoIgnis
Summary: Daenerys sets off to a husky farm in Finland for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Meeting Jon, however, was unexpected. A Jonerys AU short story with original artwork.





	A ride to remember

..

The first thing Daenerys noticed was the great, white husky running in front of the pack.

In the otherwise silent wilderness, the sound of the panting dogs seemed to echo between the snowclad trees. She hugged herself and stretched her neck as she tried to get a better view of the pack as it appeared in the distance. Most of the dogs had grey and black patterns running across their fur, but the one her eyes rested on was completely white. It was like a beast of its own, big and swift, and, she noted, it was not connected to the sled that followed. Instead it ran ahead, leading the way of the other dogs, its red eyes connecting with hers from afar.

“Hold on, Ghost, hold on!” a man shouted. It was the musher’s voice; he was a black haired lad with a thick beard, his body clad in layers of wool and fur. He was leaning on the handlebars of the sled, guiding the huskies toward her.

As they came closer, she felt a shiver run down her back. Her eyes focused on the front of the sled, packed with blankets for her comfort, and she thought to herself, _ Am I really about to do this? _

Daenerys never meant to end up in Finland. Her decision to book the flights had been a snap one; one moment, she was browsing holidays in the Carribean, dreaming herself away to an all-inclusive luxury hotel. The next, an advertisement promising her a once in a lifetime trip to the cold North caught her attention. Before she knew of it, the booking was already confirmed.

Truth be told, the images of snowy mountaintops soon melted away in her mind and made way for worries such as; what do I wear? What will I eat? _ Why did I book a non-refundable flight? _ Days before her trip, she was on the phone to her best friend Missandei, begging her to come along.

“I thought you wanted to go on some sort of self-discovery trip?” Missandei had asked confused. “What happened?”

“My mouse slipped. I was meant to sunbathe amongst handsome gigolos,” Daenerys admitted, “but now my ticket is bound for Rovaniemi.”

“The hell is that?”

“Some airport in Finland.”

“_Finland? _ You won’t be finding any gigolos in _ Finland_.”

“I know, but they do have saunas?” Daenerys said wistfully, trying to make the trip sound appealing to her friend, but Missandei had laughed:

“Sorry, Dany, you know I support you, but Grey’s taking me to Australia. I can’t turn down Bondi Beach!”

Thinking of the glistening blue water, Daenerys couldn’t even blame her. Now, instead of catching waves, she was catching a cold, and she rubbed her runny nose as the musher stopped in front of her, a bright smile on his lips.

“You must be Daenerys,” he said and reached out his hand.

She shook it gingerly. “I am.”

“I’m Jon. I’ll be your guide for the next few hours. And these are my huskies,” he said, gesturing toward the pack of dogs. They had all settled in the snow, some of them gasping for air, others licking at the ice for water. Meanwhile, the white one trudged around undisturbed, its eyes never leaving her.

Daenerys shuddered again. “What about that one?” she asked.

Jon turned to look at where she was pointing and he nodded. “Ah, yeah, that’s Ghost. He’s a special one. Never was good for sledding, but he’s an expert hunter. He doesn’t really take to people, though.” He gave her an apologetic look. “Just let him roam, and he’ll be happy.”

“Right,” she nodded before glancing around. “So… am I the only one here?”

The tour bus arrived early in the morning. She’d left her airport lodging still yawning, dragging a small suitcase behind her as she settled into the only available seat. There were loads of people from all over the world crammed onto the bus, and she’d fallen asleep assured that she’d have a chance at making friends that day.

But by the time the bus driver woke her, she was the only one left, and when she’d arrived at her accommodation, she was told she could pick any cottage she fancied. “They’re all available,” the front desk clerk had said. “Just be ready for your trip at 2.”

Jon rubbed some snow off his sleeves as he contemplated her question. “Well, yes,” he admitted. “I am not going to lie - we don’t get many visitors up here.”

“How come?” she asked. Truthfully, she wasn’t one for cold weather, but she imagined a lot of people were. After all, ski trips and hiking seemed popular around here, and the cottage wasn’t too shabby either - a fireplace, a single bed, and a little corner kitchen stocked with coffee and biscuits. It was basic, but it was doable. “Do you not advertise?”

“I guess you could say we’re _ new _ to the idea of tourists,” Jon said, clearly choosing his words with care. “Things have been a little… hard.”

Daenerys heart sank and she couldn’t stop herself from asking: “Don’t tell me someone _ died _here?”

Jon looked at her for a hot moment, long enough for her to feel sweat starting to form beneath her baselayer. But then his serious face broke into a grin. “Sorry!” he said as he started laughing, and relief washed over her. “I couldn’t help myself, you looked _ so _ worried!”

“You’ll give me a heart attack!” she said, but she also smiled a little. She felt kind of dumb for having asked the question, but the setup seemed so certain.

“No one’s died here. But keeping huskies is tough business. These are just a few of them - we have a total of ninety-eight.”

“Ninety-eight!” She gawked at him.

Jon nodded. “With that amount of dogs, you don’t really have a life. Your life becomes the dogs. It’s only recently that we’ve managed to pull everything together enough to have people stay over. Those cabins are mostly used for volunteers or people coming to learn the trade. You’re our first visitor!”

_ I guess that’s why the trip was so cheap, _ Daenerys pondered. After booking, she’d done some research online, only to realise that a lot of husky farms charged hundreds of dollars for a daytrip. She’d even been worried if she’d been scammed, considering the low price tag of her own holiday. _ But it’s all starting to make sense. _

“Well, I’ll tell you more, but first let’s get you going,” Jon said. He grabbed at the blankets and offered her his hand, and she let him help her to sit down. In her thick jacket, she felt like a round snowball, even more so as the frosty blanket was tugged around her.

She watched his face as he carefully made sure she was seated right and covered well, and she thought, _ He may not be a Spanish gigolo, but he’s very handsome. _ As he caught her looking, she smiled politely and quickly glanced across the snowy landscape, but his gaze made her feel warmer than the blanket.

“Right, Ghost, get ready!” Jon shouted as he mounted the back of the sled. His hands closed around the handlebars as he called his commands at the huskies. They all got up at once, barking joyfully, and Daenerys realised that they seemed truly excited to go on another trip. “Straight on we go!”

* * *

The landscape was breathtaking. Daenerys had worried she might get tired of looking at white, but something about gliding through the thick dunes of snow, watching the thin, clad trees pass them by, and gazing toward the mountains on the horizon - it was thrilling and calming all at once.

At first, Jon chatted to her about the area and the job; what kind of animals lived there, how did the husky farm run, what went into taking care of a pack of dogs. But soon, they settled on silence, and she felt herself enter an almost trance-like state as she just watched, and watched, and watched.

Daenerys lifestyle was busy. Most of the time, she was working at the local hospital, running errands for overworked doctors and entering data when nurses didn’t have the time. Her spare time too was filled with things meant to keep her feeling healthy, young and alive - yoga on Mondays, dinner parties on Tuesdays, language lessons on Wednesdays, running on Thursdays, drinks on Fridays, hangovers on Saturdays, vegan cooking on Sundays. She had no real time to stop and breathe.

But now, all she did was breathe, and the air felt cool and fresh in her lungs, and her cheeks glowed red with joy. She couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t heard nor spoken a word for over half an hour, and it made her heart throb with peace.

It was only once they took a break at a snowy peak that she stood up, shook off the snow from the blanket, and turned to him with shining eyes that she spoke: “I am in love!”

Jon blinked at the confession and blushed. “Uh, sorry?” he said.

Daenerys threw out her arms and took in a deep breath. “I am in love with this place!” she grinned.

Jon scratched his cheek as his blush subsided, and he looked at her with kind eyes. “Rather beautiful, isn’t it?” he said.

Daenerys smiled too. “It really is.” She turned her back on him as she gazed across the landscape. “It’s so simple, but so… it’s just everything I didn’t _ know _ that I needed but which I _ did_.” As she stood looking around, Jon reached into his bag on the handlebars and pulled out a flask. He unscrewed the lid and poured hot coffee into the makeshift cup.

“Want a sip?” he asked and offered it to her.

She accepted it and tasted the warm brew. It immediately heated up her throat and sent heat waves through her chest. “Mhm, thanks.” She rubbed her fingertips across the hot plastic as she watched Jon. “You know, I think you will get a lot of tourists here once you get set up. This really is an amazing place.”

“I’m glad to hear you say it. My stepmother wasn’t too keen on changing the business model.”

“Oh, so you’re pioneering the idea?”

Jon nodded. “My dad died last year. Since then, she’s tried to keep everything exactly as it was. But it’s just not doable.” He shook his head sadly. “I managed to convince my siblings to support me, but until she sees the cash flowing in, she won’t believe me.”

Daenerys pushed the mug to her lip as she muttered: “I am sorry for your loss.”

Jon shook his head and pulled of his beanie. He ran his fingers through his wild locks. “No, I am the one who’s sorry. I don’t know why I am telling you all this! You’re my _ guest,_ not my _ therapist_!”

Daenerys giggled around the cup. “I really don't mind,” she said, and she meant it. Looking into Jon’s kind eyes, she didn’t feel like a customer. Sure, she had paid money to come, but why deny good company when it presented itself? Jon seemed gentle, and intelligent, and she liked when he spoke. _ And he’s not too hard to look at either, _ she thought and instinctively licked her lips.

Jon eyed the ground as he flushed. “I am still sorry,” he said.

Daenerys settled down on the edge of the sled as she watched the huskies lick up the snow around them. She then gestured for Jon to seat himself next to her. “Enough with apologies. If you’re so sorry, then come and tell me some stuff about the farm.”

“Yeah?” Jon raised his brows in surprise, but he seated himself, holding the hot bottle between his legs. “Mhm, let’s see… well, have you ever seen a husky give birth? There was this morning when-”

As he spoke, Daenerys listened, and she watched Ghost trudge about them, staring back at them every now and again. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt there was something about the way the red of his eyes met with hers. As if he wanted to tell her something. _ Don’t be silly, he’s just a dog, _ she thought to herself, but the feeling still lingered, even as they packed up half an hour later and headed backwards.

* * *

For the next five days, Daenerys was involved in _ everything_. As the only and first visitor to the farm, it became clear to her that Jon wasn’t sure where to put the line between customer and friend. The more they talked, the more he started ordering her around, having her fetch water for the dogs, start the fire in the kitchen, even bring him coffee once when he forgot to make any himself.

Perhaps she should’ve been insulted and pushed back. But something inside of her felt warm instead, especially when Jon looked her in the eyes. It was the way he touched her shoulder. The way he said her name. The way he knocked on her door in the evenings and invited her over to his for supper. He seemed genuine. There was no slick business speech and no pressure to perform. It was as if they were just two strangers enjoying each other’s company.

A perfect pair of strangers with a beast following them.

Daenerys had noted that wherever Jon went, Ghost did too. True to Jon’s words, he kept his distance - he really didn’t seem to like other people, so he just pattered about, looking over at her ever so often as if to make sure she wasn’t up to anything with his owner. The one time she called out to him, it seemed to scare him. At least he trudged off to lie between the other huskies. By the end of her visit, she’d learned to just ignore him. She was way too busy being sad about going home anyway.

“I’m really sorry to see you go,” Jon said as she met him by the cabin. It was early morning; the sun had just started to rise, and the frost was still thick in the air. Glimmers of snow clung onto his beard, even as he stroked it and looked all around them, seemingly finding it difficult to look her in the eyes. “I’ve really enjoyed your company.”

“I have too,” she admitted, “enjoyed your company, I mean.” She was dressed in thick layers, but her suitcase was packed with her summer dress on top. She knew when she landed back at home, it would be sunshine and beach parties and yoga again. No more snow. No more sled rides under the northern lights.

No more Jon.

Daenerys wetted her lips as she watched his face. His hair was wild and black, his curly locks still springing back after a night’s sleep on the soft pillow. His brows were dark and furrowed, his eyes sad, and his lips? - thin, kissable, soft between the rough hairs of his beard.

She licked her own lips and took in a slow breath through her nose. “Well,” she said, “I really hope I can come back.”

“Would you like to?” he asked.

She nodded. “Of course. I’d love to.”

“I’d love that too,” he said.

She fiddled with the handle of her suitcase as they stood in silence. Her back was against her cabin door, her front facing the end of the road that led between the cottages. Any minute now, her tour bus would arrive to pick her up and drive her back to the airport. Any minute now would be the last. Any minute now.

“Daenerys,” Jon said, and she stirred and looked up at him. His eyes were grave, she noted, and his stare intense. It almost froze her in place. “I don’t think I should be saying what I am about to say-”

“I want you to say it anyway,” she whispered before he could finish, her voice husky.

Jon swallowed. “Daenerys, I just want to-” He paused as the sound of the tour bus broke through the silence. They both stood and listened as the car drove through the snow, then stopped at the end of the road. The motor grunted. The driver honked the horn. “Fuck.”

Daenerys giggled. As Jon looked at her confused, she repeated his words: “You just want to fuck?”

Jon flushed. “That’s really not what I hoped to say,” he assured her.

“Time to go!” the driver shouted impatiently.

Daenerys nodded at Jon, grabbed at her suitcase, and then made her way to the bus. With every step, she felt her heart drop in her chest, and she thought, _ Is this what true sadness feels like? Is this what it feels like to lose something you’re meant to hold on to? _ She slowed down, so much so that if the driver hadn’t stepped out of the car and grabbed the case for her, she might’ve never made it on there.

It was only as she was about to step onto the bus that a bark stopped her. As she turned, she saw Ghost - the great husky came running from around the cabin, coming straight at her. For a moment, she worried he was going to jump her, but he stopped just in front of her, his red eyes looking up at her, and then he lifted his paw.

Daenerys looked toward Jon, finding his face just as bewildered as hers. But then she finally knelt, holding out her hand as she took his paw into her palm. “Bye Ghost,” she said, and she heard her own voice break sadly. “I will really miss you.”

The husky cocked its head to the side, then leaned down and licked her hand before trudging off to Jon. As it settled by his side, Daenerys stepped onto the bus and sat down.

If it had felt empty when she arrived, it felt even lonelier now. She settled in an empty seat by the window, and she looked out at Jon as he raised his hand in a wave. She too raised hers, her fingertips brushing to the cold glass as the driver started the motor and began backing out of there.

As the image of Jon disappeared, she hugged herself and felt tears slipping down her cheeks as she thought, _ I have made a massive mistake. _

* * *

**2 years later**

“Girl, there is _ no _ sauna here, you massive liar!”

Daenerys chuckled as Missandei joined her by the dinner table. It was set for four, the plates chunky and chipped, and the old wooden chairs covered in husky hair. “I might have embellished the truth slightly.”

“Well, I like it,” Grey said as he exited the kitchen. He was holding a giant bowl of boiled potatoes. He placed them in the middle of the table and winked at Missandei: “You know, the cold means we must make our own sauna. Together.”

“You are dirty, and I love it,” she smiled at him.

“Who’s being dirty?” Jon asked. He exited the kitchen, holding a plate of smoked char, and he looked between the red faces of Missandei and Grey, neither of them offering an explanation.

Daenerys went in for the rescue: “You are, obviously. For fucking your very first guest.”

Jon blushed and was quick to put the fish down for all to eat. “I did not fuck you. Not the first time, anyway.”

“But the second, third, fourth-” Daenerys mouth was shut with a kiss to her lips. She grabbed at Jon’s face as she shortly deepened it to a cheer from Missandei.

“Look at them! They truly are young and in love. Remember when we were young and in love?” She smiled at Grey who squeezed her knee.

“I thought we still were?”

“Enough of this,” Jon urged as he pulled away from Daenerys, his cheeks bright red. “Let’s eat first.”

“And fuck later,” Daenerys said innocently.

Missandei raised her glass. “Yes, Queen!” she agreed. “A cheers to all of us - for being young, stupid, and in love.”

“For being young, stupid, and in love!” they all joined in.

As Daenerys sat watching them all dig into the dishes, her gaze briefly slipped to the window. She watched the snow fall outside on the beautiful Finnish landscape, and she thought to herself, _ Now I know I made the right choice. In coming back. _ She looked toward Jon, his kind eyes meeting hers, and she smiled. _ In coming home. _

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6! Look how far we've all come! Thanks to DragonandDirewolf for the cute artwork. As always, your comments are much appreciated. Cannot wait to share next week's stories!


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